What 6-foot-6 DL Mekhi Bell brought to Summit football win, including six pass deflections

SPRING HILL - As the Summit football team huddled around coach Brian Coleman ahead of its opening game of the 2024 TSSAA football season against Spring Hill on Friday, one helmet loomed tall over the rest.

It belonged to Summit defensive end Mekhi Bell, who at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, towers over just about everyone on the field.

Bell had six pass deflections, two tackles for loss, a blocked extra point and four quarterback hurries while playing on both sides of the ball as Summit defeated Spring Hill 28-16.

Bell holds multiple offers, including from Southeast Missouri State, and aims to add to that list with a strong senior season.

“He's progressed a lot," Coleman said. "He's progressed in size; he's actually grown a lot and then he's got some strength on him. He's worked really hard in the offseason to get stronger and work on his hands and stuff. He's done really good in college camps. Colleges really want to see film on him, they want to see how he can do. So he's got a lot to play for, for sure.”

Bell began playing football his freshman year after friends convinced him his size would be as suited for the football field as it was the basketball court.

“As soon as I came to football one day, I was just dominating everybody,” Bell said.

Bell has continued to improve his technique and said his best attribute is his hands, something opposing coaches have taken note of since he emerged as one of the region’s best defensive players last season.

“I’m expecting it,” Bell said of the attention. “I’m going to gameplan myself and watch film, what they do, study them and see what I can build off of.”

Harrison Campbell covers high school sports and more for The Daily Herald. Email him at hcampbell@gannett.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp .

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: What 6-foot-6 DL Mekhi Bell brought to Summit football win, including six pass deflections